Chia sprouts...These little beauties bring new meaning to the word "micro-greens"! They are tiny.
Although I have been eating chia seeds for many years, I had never sprouted them until recently.
My favorite resource for sprouting, sproutpeople.com has the proper instructions for sprouting this little powerhouse of nutrition, so please check them out. I did not have any of the recommended mediums for sprouting, so I came up with a plan of my own.
In the commercial, it looks like the famous chia pets are made of clay, and spread with the moistened gelatinous seeds. The seeds sprout, and look like green fur. Hmmm...are you still a vegan if you eat your chia pet :)???
I have an un-glazed stoneware pie plate, so I use that. Perhaps a terra cotta saucer sold for large pots would work.
Here is my method:
I wet the pie plate, and sprinkle on some chia seeds, leaving plenty of room for them to grow. It is probably about a teaspoon of seeds.
Next, I add some water,(about 1/16 of an inch) and soak the seeds.
The next day there are already some seeds bursting open!
They soon absorb all the water, so I add a sprinkle as needed to keep them moist.
Soon they start turning green:)
For a few hours a day, I cover them with a clear glass pie plate of the same size.
They love the sunny window.
About a week later they are ready to harvest. I cut them from the roots like a shoot, and rinse them gently in a mesh strainer. They taste a little like broccoli sprouts to me and have a slight spiciness.
They are so cute:)
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They were delicious on little cucumber cups today.
The cups were filled with a mixture of tomato and the cucumber scooped from the cups, chives, a drizzle of oil, and coconut vinegar.
The mixture was topped with a generous dollop of Spring Herb Dressing, posted today on the wonderful blog, Raw Candy. I just love trying recipes from other bloggers. This dressing is a keeper...so creamy and good! Thank you, Camille, for sharing this recipe:)
Garnished with a few snipped chia sprouts, lunch was served:)
For storage of mature sprouts, snip and wrap in a clean damp cloth and refrigerate for a day or two. Rinse before using. They are very tender so I only store them for a day or two.
I would love to know if you have ever tried growing chia seeds. If you haven't, what is your favorite sprout to grow?
Thanks to everyone who commented on my last post, My Mostly Raw Pantry. I still can't leave a comment myself, but I want you to know how much I love and appreciate your comments, feedback, and support.
In the comments, D2Quilter said...
"So here's a post idea. . . Could you give us a list of what you think is essential for a RAW beginner to have in their Pantry? I've been working on my raw pantry, but it's overwhelming to decide what to get started with. Also, how should nuts etc. . . be stored? Thanks!"
This is a wonderful suggestion for a blog post! I will be happy to post my thoughts on these questions. Thank you D2Quilter, please check back soon.
~ETA~ My raw pantry essential post!
44 comments:
I've never tried sprouting seeds, I keep talking about it but haven't actually done it yet. I know sprouts are super good for you and that I really should make some.
I love the idea of a beginners pantry post!
hehehe "is eating your chia pet vegan?"=)
what a great idea to use terra cotta! i will try that soon. thanks for the splendid idea!=)
i'm in love with the cucumber bites. what a perfect summer snack or appetizer!
you are amazing, angela!
xoxoxo
those cucumber bites are an awesome idea! sounds like summer.
I've never even thought of sprouting chia seeds!!!! They are the cutest little sprouts I've ever seen!
Those look like delectable little bites....nom! nom! nom! and the sprouted chia looks so cute!
xoxo
You are too funny! Eating your chia pet?!!?! LOL!
Love innovation darling and you are all over it. ;-)
I've never tried sprouting chia seeds..so so cute! Thank you for the sprouting suggestions.
Too funny..eating your chia "fur" lol!
Love your lunch..yum! I so need to try those cucumber cups..so dainty:)
PS my favorite sprouts are lentil and clover.
I have to give this a try. I have lots of chia seeds and it looks like the process is relatively easy. I can't wait to harvest those teeny tiny sprouts.
Haha! Love the chia pet joke too! LOL! Also, love the idea of a transition to raw post!!! EXCITED, in fact. You have such wonderful ideas... pie plates! That is too clever and pretty. The cucumber cups look so refreshingly delicious!!
Angela -- so glad to see you posting again! It makes my kitchen a happy raw kitchen! :) About the chia seeds, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't take the time to snip them from the roots... Did you happen to see anywhere that the roots are hard to digest or otherwise a no-no or did you do that for other reasons (aesthetics, taste)? Just wondering if that's a cuttable corner...
Hi Angelique! Thanks...I am happy to be posting again:)
Of course I am not an expert about the sweet little chia sprout, but all the sites I came across said to cut them just above the root.
The roots stay pretty wet, and do darken a little, so that's why I cut them, and I did read a comment somewhere that said the roots are more bitter than the sprout.
I would love to know if you try them:)
Oh i just found your great blog! Love all the raw recipes and links, thanks so!!
I love LOVE sprouts but have never tried chia! Thanks for explaining exactly how you do it, because i tend to sometimes kill sprouts :( My favorite is just a zesty mix, because i read you're supposed to rotate the kinds you use and that's too complicated in my world right now (what with rotating smoothie greens and all) so i figure (hope) this way at least i'm not getting an overdose of any one kind :D
I just finished my first tray of sunflower sprouts; they were great! but i can't get buckwheat lettuce to grow for ANYTHING. If you've got that one down, please share your technique?
Welcome, reikifeet:) Thanks for the sweet comment.
I have never tried buckwheat lettuce, but check out the sproutpeople site, they are my favorite for sprouting instructions.
http://www.sproutpeople.com/seed/bwlettuce.html
i am eating sprouts since many years, and all the time i´ve been searching for new sorts of sproutable seeds. Thhis year i found Chia and bought me some seeds (500 g !) The seeds grew magnificent day by day, and day by day i tasted a little bit. And this time ,i got a problem. I got heats on my head and all extremitys, i couldnt prespirate anymore, it was horrible. I didnt found anything about the effects of chia, but something about sage ! (chia is in the same family)
I found, sage decreases sweating and should be used not too often. It is used by women to alactate !(Milk-glands are sweatt-glands!) So, i think its better to let it grow up to max to 3-5 days,
better less...
greetings
Steven
i love your post and its not just the info about the sprouts --- this is also wonderful photography! i have chia sprouts too on their 5th day and i'm looking forward to putting them in my salad and making tea :)
I really liked the pictures of the chia sprouts. Have you ever tried the Sprout Master sprouter?
I love baing with chia and I have just decided to try sprouting them on some kitchen towel in my "biosnaky" sprouter. Very keen to see how they go. They look SO cute in your lovely pics!
As I was falling asleep last night, I thought- wait, why haven't I sprouted chia? Lol, I only just eat the seeds, but I bet you could sprout them! Of course I can! :) Thanks for the how-to & the beautiful recipe ideas.
I am so glad to have found this site! I have sprouted Chia seeds on damp paper towels (seriously!) It worked and I could dispose of it so there was no chance of contamination for the next batch.
Mary Ann
How do you "cut them from the roots?" Can you eat the roots?
Hi 'see it with the eyes of your soul'... the sprouts are simply cut with kitchen shears from the tray where they grow, similar to wheatgrass.
I think you can eat the roots, but I have heard they are bitter.
Sorry my reply took so long, sometimes I can't sign in.
They are so adorable! Thanks for a great post, I will be back to see what else you have :)
I have chia seed plants ....I think
We love to eat fresh sprouts and just wanted to share with you that there is no need to "snip" off the roots.... They are grown in water and we eat the whole sprout!! Saves you time! Plus I store them wrapped in paper towel in a ziploc bag in the fridge once they get too big for my sprouter! Just thought I'd share!! Happy sprouting!!
Never though of sprouting chia seeds. This is a great technique! One thing to note is to make sure your seeds are organic.
Thank you for your post. I love the cucumber idea! YUM!
I found your blog (and pinned) while trying to find out more about chia. My first attempt was on the chia pet, but it is old and no longer holds water, so only the bottom half grew. They did grow pretty long though so I wonder if you let them grow a few more days if they wouldn't be so tiny. Right now I am on day three in a sprouting kit I received for my birthday. It is basically a 2" tall plastic tray with a plastic screen bottom and slatted sides. It has a base tray and lid to retain moisture. Other sprouts did really well in it, but it doesn't seem ideal for the chia because they are growing very unevenly. (but they're growing:) I think I'll put terra cotta under it next go 'round. Thanks again, I will be following your blog for more great ideas!
Little powerhouse of nutrition – That is definitely an apt description for chia seeds! When I learned about the benefits of chia seeds, I didn’t think twice of growing them in my home. From what I gather, the chia seed is a dieter’s dream come true. When exposed to water, the seed forms a coating gel that increases its size and weight which will make you feel full. It would help you fight hunger, without adding calories!
I love it! I just sprouted some in a cooking dish with about an inch of soil. It only took about a week, but I LOVE that I can grow them in water. That's so convenient. Thank you for creating such an informative and inspiring blog post!
Where I am from (Denmark) it's very common to grow chia sprouts on cotton wool pads. I think it's something all kids do at one time or another. They are used to top open faced sandwiches.
Some 9th grade girls just won international acclaim in the science community with an experiment where they used the seeds/sprouts to prove that cell phone radiation is harmful.
Super happy to have found your blog!!! My sister and I went vegetarian in march and have been holding strong;) You have such good and cute ideas I can't wait to try! Thanks so much!
Your recipe looks fabulous! Like you, I had only ever eaten the seeds. But I just grew a batch of chia microgreens. I put them in seed starting soil & they grew like gangbusters! :-)
Nice post, I will try this soon!
I started integrating Chia seeds in my meals a couple weeks ago and mostly in my drinks. there was an instant that some seeds stayed in my water bottle and I left it by the sink to recycle later (forgetting to rinse it out). A couple days later, I think it was 3 days, I found it was sprouting, so I assume it doesn't take much to sprout them. They just stuck to the walls of the bottle and that seemed to be enough. I'll try it again with a halved bottle
I have just completed a 3 year research project on organic Non-GMO Chia Sprouts!!
I allow the Chia to only grow to the fourth day, after they are bitter and extremely strong.
I juice them whole with my teeth and allow the juice mixed with my saliva to pool under my tongue, for a long while.
Then I drink a glass of water.
20 minutes later I am moving...power walking, math, science projects, farming...I have energy to BURN!! I only take about 20 sprouts.
Chia Sprouts are powerful!!
Does anyone have any idea why chia seeds might NOT sprout. I have tried three times, using three similar methods, tweaking each time to see what might be wrong. I think I am following instructions carefully. The chia I am using is from a bag that was a bit older, but had not been opened, and then had been refrigerated. I shouldn't think that would be an issue, but clearly, something is wrong. Anybody else have this problem?
That looks good, I can't wait to try it!
I didn't know that you can sprout chia seeds. I always do alfa alfa but never thought about chia. I'll try this right away.
I sprout mung beans and alfalfa in stacking sprouter. I just started some chia seeds in a terracotta saucer. I put a plastic tray under that with some water in it to keep it moist. They are doing great, but i think i put in too many as I have a dense mat of growth.
Looking forward to trying them in a day or two.
Apart from sprouting chia, loved how u added that innovative presentation for serving in cucumber cups!!! N then u also honestly gave the credit to whom it belongs!
Thankyou good soul :)
Amount of chia seed sprouts we can eat daily without overdoing it
I did not have any of the recommended mediums for sprouting, so I came up with a plan of my own.Beth Nitz
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What kind of water are you using? If tap water, it might contain additives depending on your water treatment protocol that could mess with the sprouting.
These chia sprouts are so tiny yet so beautiful, wow! I have been eating chia seeds my whole life! Thanks for the recipe!
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